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Retraction notice: Risk Pricing in Construction Tenders - How, Who, What
No full textRetraction NoticeTitle: Risk Pricing in Construction Tenders - How, Who, WhatAuthors: Marcus Towner and David BaccariniJournal: Construction Economics and Building, Volume 7, Issue 2,2007, Pages 12-25DOI: https://doi.org/10.5130/AJCEB.v7i2.2987
Reason for Retraction:This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief and the publisher. Following publication in 2007/2008, concerns were raised recently regarding the duplication of the above paper.
There\u27s a major error in the 2007 version of the above-mentioned paper in that it was cut short soon after the \u27Risks Considered\u27 subheading of the results section, and the text from an entire article from the previous issue was copied in its place. Even though the correct version was published in Vol. 8 No. 1 (2008), the error wasn’t declared in the 2008 version article or in the editorial, and there\u27s no other indication to a reader that the 2007 version is flawed.
An investigation confirmed that portions of the article published in 2008 contained substantial overlap with previously published works by the same authors in 2007 without retracting the first paper published in 2007.
Unfortunately, the authors could not be contacted to acknowledged these issues and therefore the Editor-in-chief and the publisher have decided to retract the paper.
Statement:This retraction serves to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record of the Construction Economics and Building journal and upholds the highest standards of publication ethics. The online version of this article has been marked as “Retracted.”
Date of Retraction: 05/11/202
Fair Access or Mirage? A Biodiscovery Case Study at Uluru for Indigenous Benefit-sharing
No full textInternational minimum standards for sharing and protecting Indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge have been adopted under United Nations conventions which promote fair and equitable benefit-sharing with Indigenous peoples. However, biodiscovery continues in Australia using Indigenous peoples\u27 traditional knowledge without adequately recognising their rights and interests despite Australia having signed the Nagoya Protocol. In this paper, we use legal doctrinal research combined with qualitative analysis and a case study to demonstrate inconsistencies of Australian Commonwealth regulation with the Nagoya Protocol for accessing genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge from Commonwealth areas and benefit-sharing with Indigenous communities (Collings 2024). We use an example of biodiscovery at Uluru which is a sacred site where Australian native tobacco species were collected under permit to demonstrate the shortcomings of Australia’s Commonwealth access and benefit-sharing regulation. We conclude that regulatory arrangements in Australia for collecting and using biological resources and associated traditional knowledge from Commonwealth areas are inconsistent with international standards and often unenforceable to protect traditional knowledge and provide fair and reasonable benefit-sharing with Australia’s Indigenous peoples
Consultation Protocols of Indigenous People in Contexts of Environmental Conflicts
No full textOur paper analyzes alternatives to overcome the dynamics of epistemicide through processes of Free, Prior, and Informed Consultation of Indigenous Peoples when exogenous actors act in their territories. The objective is to demonstrate the possibilities of resistance of communities in processes that may affect their lives through legal regulations and the Consultation Protocol of the Xukuru Kariri community, located in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, where a reparation governance process is underway. The theoretical background is related to the Bio-Necropolitics and Decolonial approach. This is qualitative research, based on engaged study, since the authors develop projects in this territory to support the strengthening of Indigenous peoples\u27 rights. The Consultation Protocol is problematized as an instrument to be observed when carrying out university-community projects and research activities in Indigenous territories
Assessing Financial and Professional Risks on Commercial Property Development and Investment in Accra-Ghana Enclave
Full text linkCommercial property development and investment (CPDI) is considered to be one of major investments which stimulate economic growth in many countries around the globe. Ghana is no exception. CPDI benefits include employment creation, tax revenue to the government, generation of income for investors and GDP increase. However, CPDI suffers from inherent risks when it comes to its planning, execution and management stage. Some of the inherent risks can be identified, assessed prior to execution if effective financial and professional analyses are conducted. Hence, the purpose of this study was to critically assess financial and professional risks on CPDI projects in Accra, Ghana. Based on this, an extensive literature review was conducted on the key variables such as PESTEL, strategic factors, PMBOK, financial and professional feasibility. The proposition is that these variables have significant effect on CPDI projects. Quantitative approach was employed to collect field data from the property practitioners within Accra enclave as respondents and, a survey of questionnaires was distributed using probability random sampling technique. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data gathered from the study respondents where 67% response rate was achieved. Analysis of the data proved that PESTEL analysis, strategic factors and PMBOK statistically have significant effect on CPDI projects risk assessment
Study on the Awareness and Practice of Circular Economy Principles among Construction Stakeholders in Nigeria
Full text linkThe Nigerian construction industry, characterized by a linear economic model and being a major contributor to waste generation, is slow in the adoption of methods that could be beneficial in sustainable waste disposal techniques. Despite the known benefits of circular economy principles (CEPs), the awareness level and usage of circular economy are still considered to be below average. This study aims to analyze the level of awareness and usage of CE principles among Nigerian construction stakeholders. It adopts a quantitative research method by using closed-ended questionnaires distributed to construction professionals in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using frequency distribution for the proportion of responses and characteristics of the respondents and mean item score, standard deviation, and factor analysis for the objectives. Additionally, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy was used to indicate that the retrieved data were sufficient for factor analysis, while Bartlett’s test of sphericity (BTS) tested the significance of the correlations between the variables. The findings of the study indicate that construction professionals have only a basic knowledge of CEPs and their importance in practice, but they are very familiar with their application. Thus, it provides the basis for which construction stakeholders, policymakers, and the government can make informed decisions to improve the awareness and usage of CEPs in the construction industry. The study’s findings highlight the knowledge gap and the need for targeted educational and training initiatives, which can serve as a basis for future research and intervention programs
Proactive contract theory-based resilience framework development for Public-Private Partnerships
Full text linkPublic-private partnerships (PPPs) are long-term contracts spanning many decades and are susceptible to failure due to dynamic changes such as crises within the contract period. The impending need to incorporate resilience to sustain the impacts of unexpected events on projects and contractual structures compelled this review of the PPP literature. This is to understand and unravel how and in what manner PPPs are undergirded by resilience. Using a systematic literature review methodology, a critical search from 1997 to 2023 for relevant publications in the Scopus and Web of Science databases yielded 71601 papers. Further screening using filtering criteria and selection from 12 leading journals in PPP studies resulted in a final set of 116 publications, which were then analysed using NVivo. This analysis led to the organisation of contained knowledge to form a resilience framework based on proactive-preventive contract theory. The findings revealed that the primary layer of resilience focuses on keeping the cause of the problem from arising in first place through flexible contract mechanisms, concession period optimisation, and governance strategies; the secondary resilience intends to interrupt the cause and effect through revenue guarantee options, financial viability and capital structure, and risk allocation and management; and the tertiary resilience is about minimising the damage of any unwanted occurrences such as crisis through conflicts and resolution mechanisms and the renegotiation framework. This review synthesised the accumulated PPP resilience knowledge to be used by practitioners while handling the projects – both procured and in pipeline – through the reviewed suggestions and strategies
Evaluating the service quality of Bangladesh’s Open Market Sale food security programme
No full textBangladesh has implemented numerous safety net programmes since 1971 in an effort to fight against persistent and long-term poverty. Although most of these programmes are geared towards rural areas, urbanisation has led to an increase in the number of urban poor during the past 40 years. Open Market Sale (OMS) is the oldest, biggest and priciest metropolitan social protection programme, aiming to provide low-cost rice and flour to the urban poor. This study seeks to evaluate OMS’ service quality, using a qualitative, exploratory research design. It finds that the OMS programme is beset by numerous issues including poor targeting, political interference, leakages, loss of food grains, and low-quality goods – all of which impede its service quality. Moreover, it is significantly underfunded, local authorities are not always supportive, and corruption is very common among both programme administrators and local dealers. The study suggests that the government should regulate the operation of the OMS programme more efficiently, as its effectiveness largely relies on its service quality
Governance dynamics for balancing authority and efficiency: assessing the depth of Ghana’s decentralisation programme
No full textA balanced approach to allocating authority is a cornerstone of decentralisation. However, in the Ghanaian context questions remain as to whether the centre is ready to share authority, and whether local authorities have the capacity to wield it effectively. This study sought to answer these questions, using a combination of in-depth interviews with 133 key actors in the decentralisation process and content analysis of relevant laws. Troublingly, it found both structural and practical obstacles which prevent decentralisation in Ghana from flourishing. Following analysis of the findings, the authors recommend several measures to improve the position: clear commitment on the part of the centre; implementing full fiscal decentralisation; strengthening the capacity of local government functionaries; more awareness-raising campaigns to promote citizen engagement; making the planning process responsive to local needs; and strengthening horizontal coordination and collaboration
Ukrainian Labour Migration to Europe During the War: A Review of Current Realities
Full text linkInternational migration plays an important role in shaping the global economy, serving as both a source of financial resources for countries and a means of balancing demographic and labour disparities across nations. Labour migration, in particular, is integral to the redistribution of labour and capital, influenced by varying levels of economic development, natural resource availability, and technological progress. While globalisation has facilitated the movement of people and strengthened international cooperation, migration patterns are significantly affected by military conflicts. The ongoing war in Ukraine has intensified these dynamics, prompting a significant outflow of Ukrainian labour to Europe. This review explores the economic, social, and demographic impacts of this migration, analysing its effects on host countries and the complex challenges it poses for Ukraine, particularly regarding demographic stability and post-war reconstruction
Commentary: Enhancing Immigration Policy Through Research
Full text linkThis commentary is about the ways in which research can enhance policy making. It opens with a broad discussion of the relationship between research and policy as many have traditionally conceived it, often through the metaphor of a policy cycle into which research is inserted at various points of the cycle. The idea of a policy cycle regards the relationship between research and policy in epistemic terms and arguably represents not a description of how policy is in fact made but stands as a rational reconstruction of the policy process. From here, we move to a more socio-psychological approach to how policy is made and how it is that research is used. Flowing from this, I offer ideas for how researchers can establish effective working relations with policy makers, especially those in governments. In the second half of the paper, some of these ideas are illustrated through the Metropolis Project with a focus on its deployment in Canada, which attempted several innovations in this regard, followed by some reflections on the International Metropolis Project
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